Jose Mourinho’s Roma secured their spot in the Europa League final by playing out a goalless draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their semi-final clash.
In the first leg, Edoardo Bove’s goal propelled the Italian team to a 1-0 victory, which proved to be sufficient to advance.
During the opening half of the second leg, Xabi Alonso’s side came close to equalizing as Moussa Diaby’s strike hit the crossbar, but they couldn’t find the breakthrough.
Roma will now advance to the final scheduled for May 31 in Budapest.
It’s worth noting that Mourinho has an impeccable track record of winning all five of his previous European finals, including last season’s Europa Conference League triumph with Roma.
Leverkusen, facing a deficit to overcome, took an early offensive stance, and Diaby nearly leveled the tie after breaking free down the right flank, only to see his powerful shot crash against the crossbar and bounce away.
Shortly after, Kerem Demirbay’s low shot was saved by Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio. Leverkusen felt aggrieved when the referee waved play on despite Bryan Cristante’s apparent foul on Sardar Azmoun just outside the box, with only Patricio left to beat.
The home team continued to press forward in the second half, with Azmoun dragging a shot narrowly wide. However, despite their territorial dominance, they struggled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Consequently, after a 31-year absence from European finals before last season, Roma can now anticipate their second consecutive appearance on the grand stage.
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